


Triple A

by alynwa



Series: Triple A [1]
Category: Boston Legal
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2017-11-11 23:57:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/484327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alynwa/pseuds/alynwa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan's childhood best friend and mother of his child comes to visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter I

"Alan? Earth to Alan!"

Alan looked at Paul Lewiston and then, quickly glanced away, a little embarrassed that he had been caught not paying attention to the weekly staff meeting. "I'm sorry, Paul. What did you say?"

"I was asking you how the settlement talks are going on the Nicholas case. Have they come back with a counter-offer?"

"Oh. Um, yes, they did. I've advised my client to take it; I don't think I could get much more if we were to go to trial."

Paul put his cheaters on to look at the next item on the agenda. "Thank you, Alan. I'm tabling the next item until Shirley comes back from NY. If there's nothing else, we're adjourned."

Brad, Lori, Denise, Alan and Denny left the conference room as quickly as they could without appearing to be escaping. No one liked those weekly meetings and considered them an unnecessary evil that intruded on the workday. As they moved down the hall, Denny put his hand at the small of Alan's back to guide him to his office but, instead, Alan stopped in his tracks. "Denny, I'll come to your office in a few minutes. It's almost 11 and I need to make a phonecall. Privately."

Denny looked a little surprised and said, "We're flamingos! What can you possibly have to say to someone that I can't hear?"

"It's not like that, Denny. I…just need to talk to someone about … a delicate matter."

Denny moved in front of Alan. "Are you sick? Because I can help.."

Alan moved them both to the side to stop blocking the hall and smiled reassuringly at his best friend. "Denny, I love you for being concerned but, there's nothing to be concerned about. I am not sick. I am not in trouble. I will come to your office as soon as I finish my business. OK?"

Denny pouted for a moment, then grunted, "OK," and started to walk away.

"Denny!"

"What now?"

Alan pointed and said, "Your office is that way."

Catherine Piper was sitting at her desk sorting through Alan's mail when he came around the corner. "Good morning, dear! Here are your messages. I'll get you some coffee."

"That won't be necessary, Catherine. I don't want to be disturbed. Thank you." One of the stranger facts about Alan's strange life was that Catherine Piper not only worked at Crane, Poole and Schmidt but, worked for him. He actually had known her back in Dedham when he was growing up and what a bitch she had been to him back then. A horrible, horrible woman. Who now answered his phone and greeted his clients. Who could have predicted that?

The number had just started to ring when the shouting started outside his door. He heard Catherine say, "What are you doing? You can't go in there!" and a familiar, very angry voice replied in an extremely threatening tone, "You old _bitch_! I tolerated you when I was a kid and I'll be _damned_ if I let you get in my way, again! MOVE!"

Alan snatched his door open just as Tara, Denny and a few others came into view. He deftly stepped in between the two women, spread his arms wide and exclaimed, "Adrienne! I was just calling you!" and embraced her so warmly and intimately that Denny and Tara looked at each other, realized neither one knew who the hell she was, looked back and just stared. Alan pulled back, kissed Adrienne softly on the lips, then turned and looked at his assembled coworkers. "It's alright, people! Just a little misunderstanding, you can all go back to what you were doing. Thank you!" Most of the crowd faded away, except for Denny and Tara. Alan figured they wouldn't, so he said as he guided Adrienne into his office, "Give us about 15 minutes and then I'll let you in."

Denny puffed up and blustered, "Who the hell was that woman? I can understand him not letting you in, Tara, but…Denny Crane!"

Tara stopped staring at the closed door and said softly, "Bloody hell? How insensitive is he that he hugged and kissed that, that woman in front of me and didn't even bother to say anythng to me? Of all the unmitigated gall…"

Catherine, who by this time, had regained her composure and sat back down, looked at Tara and said, "Don't feel too bad, dear. In today's lingo, I guess you would call her his baby-mama."

Denny's jaw dropped and Tara looked like someone had kicked the air out of her. Denny recovered first. "What did you say?"

Catherine smiled slightly. "You heard correctly, dear. Adrienne and Alan share a child."


	2. Chapter 2

It was closer to 25 minutes before Alan opened his office door and invited Tara and Denny inside. It could have been hours, neither one was budging until they heard from Alan. Adrienne was sitting in one of the client chairs, but had turned it around to face both the desk and the sofa. She regarded them coolly as they entered and sat, Tara on the sofa and Denny in the chair opposite her. Alan had leaned against his desk with his arms crossed and was looking at his shoes. Denny looked Adrienne over. She was a light-skinned, Black woman, about 5'6 or 7", with a very well-toned body. Extremely well-toned. Pleasant features, minimal makeup, if any, and her hair was parted down the middle and braided. It was just past her shoulders. Denny smiled at her in spite of his shock.

Alan straightened up, smoothed the front of his suit jacket and said, "Well, I should start by formally introducing everyone. Denny Crane, Tara Wilson, this is Adrienne Peyton. She and I grew up together and she is my childhood best friend."

Tara muttered, "Among other things," which drew a furtive, slightly unfriendly glance from Adrienne.

Alan continued, "Maybe you could tell from the words Catherine and she exchanged. If not, I can tell you that Catherine is not one of Adrienne's favorite people and the feeling is mutual, so I'm sure that Catherine has already told you that I got Adrienne pregnant. "

Denny sat up in the chair and said, "What Catherine said is that you share a child. Alan! How come you never told me you have a child?"

Alan looked back down at his shoes. "Technically, I don't have a child."

Tara's face softened, "Did the child die?"

Alan looked at Adrienne. She looked back and nodded her head. "Alan, if these two mean as much to you as you've told me, go ahead and tell them. Everything. I'll jump in when you get to the parts I'm better at explaining."

Alan pushed the intercom button and told Catherine he didn't want any interruptions; he was in a lunchtime meeting and could not be disturbed. He moved toward the sofa and sat down next to Tara close to Denny's chair. And told the story of Adrienne, Alan and Triple A.


	3. Chapter 3

"Adrienne and I have known each other since I was 11 and she was 9.  We met in school and lived about 3 blocks apart.  Denny, I've told you I didn't have the best childhood.  My mother was not an affectionate woman and my father…wasn't the nicest man.  Adrienne came from what was known then as a "broken home." Her mom worked 2 jobs to make ends meet and she was a latch-key kid.  We became close because we were both outsiders in so many ways. I was small for my size, and bullied. There were few Black families in town and fewer families with no father in the home.  We just…gravitated toward each other.  We would go for walks or sit on her front steps in the warm weather and just talk and talk. About what we wanted to be when we grew up, how we couldn't wait to get away from town, how we were going to show everybody that we were forces to be reckoned with. She didn't care that I sucked at sports and I didn't care that she only had one parent.  We would drink soda pop and eat potato chips and talk. I guess that was our version of scotch and cigars.

Anyway, when I was 14, one of my mother's friends took my virginity.  Before you say anything, Denny, it was scary for me. Don't get me wrong, the physical part of it felt really, really good. But, she was my mother's good friend! I didn't feel safe. Every reaction my body had, every sound I made, every sound _she_ made, thrilled me and scared me at the same time. When we finished, she told me to shower and get dressed. She paid me for mowing the lawn and told me to go home. We never spoke of it or did it again. I was so confused.

I was hanging out with Adrienne one day and told her what happened.  She was 12, but her mom had already given her the "birds and bees" talk so it wasn't like she was hearing about it for the first time."  Alan stopped speaking for a moment and looked at Adrienne and smiled with such love and affection that Denny and Tara both felt jealous though neither spoke.  "She let me talk it all out. If I shocked her or got too graphic, she never let on.  She just hugged me and said that the next time I have sex, make sure that it's right for me.  It also didn't hurt that she knew where her mom kept her sex manuals!  We obtained our book knowledge about sex together. First."


	4. Chapter 4

"The second time I had sex, it was with Adrienne and I took _her_ virginity.  I was 16 and she was 14.  Do you remember, Denny, that I asked you once, have you ever cried with a woman?  I cried with Adrienne.  I cried because the way I felt with her, was the way I should have felt my first time.  I felt safe, I felt right, I felt loved.  She cried after I told her why I was crying.  She said she felt the exact same way.  Everytime we made love, I felt that way.

Eventually, she got pregnant. We used condoms, but they did break once or twice and there was one time our hormones got the better of us, so take your pick.  We were scared to death to tell our parents, of course.  Adrienne said before we sat down with them, we needed to know what the hell we were going to do.  I was all freaked out, but I said that I would drop out of school and get a job.  Adrienne looked at me and wanted to know if I was insane.  She reminded me that we had all kinds of plans and none of them involved staying in that town, on welfare.  She said she had no intention of derailing any of our dreams.  She didn't want an abortion, she wanted to give the baby up for adoption. I wasn't sure at first, but she convinced me.  She said if we kept the baby, we would end up hating it and each other.  I finally agreed.

We told her mother first. She took it a hell of a lot better than my parents did. My father especially, had very ugly, racist things to say to both of us.  I don't like to think about it.

Adrienne asked her mother to help us work out a private adoption.  Her mom knew a couple of lawyers who, I guess, put the word out that a bi-racial baby was going to be available in a few months.  The two of us were together one day and Adrienne said that we needed to decide what we wanted in our baby's parents.  'We have to have demands,' she said.  So, we put together a list of demands that any prospective set of parents had to agree to before we would sign over our parental rights.  We were too young to know how crazy our demands were.

We spoke with a few couples and either we didn't like them or they didn't like our demands.  I was getting nervous.  One day, we met the Andersons.  We went to their attorney's office with Adrienne's mother.  They seemed like nice, caring people.  They were an interracial couple from upstate NY and had recently started looking into adoption after being unable to have a child naturallly.  Adrienne was 6 months pregnant at the time.  We were both still in school and taking quite a bit of abuse from our less evolved classmates and some of the teachers , for that matter. I really, really wanted this couple to pass muster, but Adrienne wasn't backing off our demands list.  And so, the interview began.


	5. Chapter 5

"Adrienne said, 'We obviously won't be able to give our child our last names, so we would like you to use the name Adrienne Alana Anderson if it's a girl and Adrian Alan Anderson if it's a boy.  Would you agree to that?'  That was our biggest demand.  That had been the deal breaker for the couples we had liked.  I almost fainted when Mr. Anderson said, 'We actually had not thought about names, but I like those names' and his wife agreed!  I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Everything else was a piece of cake.  Yes, they would teach the child to swim, the child would learn either Spanish or French, they would teach him or her to love education and encourage him to excel and go to college.  They would send us progress reports and a picture every 6 months until kindergarten, then once a year through college graduation."

Tara spoke up. "Good Lord! These people actually _agreed_ to all that?  What was in it for them?  I mean, besides the child?"

Adrienne stood up, stretched, walked over to Alan and sat on the arm of the sofa next to him.  "Well," she said, "they got our medical histories up to that point, permission to be with Alan and me when I gave birth, medical history updates from both of us and most importantly, the promise that we would not interfere with how they raised the child unless, of course, there was abuse.  Basically, we told them we intended to be something special and we wanted our child to be better than we would be.  And, they agreed."

Alan picked the narrative up again.  "Papers were signed, the lawyers got paid and the Andersons even helped defray the cost of some of Adrienne's medical bills.  All we had to do was wait for the baby's arrival and ignore the crap my father and Catherine Piper insisted on dishing out."

Denny, who had been sitting with his hands clasped in his lap and eyes closed, grunted upon hearing Catherine's name.  "What does she have to do with anything?  Why do you dislike her, Adrienne?"

Adrienne looked down at Alan, rubbed his back and smiled, then met Denny's gaze and held it.  "That piece of _garbage_ ," she spat out, then took a deep breath and started again, "that…woman tried to have me arrested for almost killing Alan's father."


	6. Chapter 6

"I was 7 months pregnant.  I had told Alan that I would meet him at his house after my prenatal appointment.  He usually went with me, but he had an important exam that he couldn't miss.  As I was walking toward his house, I could hear his father screaming at him.  Alan's father had a habit of drinking and then telling Alan what a disappointment he was.  It didn't matter that Alan was one of the smartest kids in his class and most likely to succeed.  He couldn't play sports.  He had a Black girlfriend he had gotten pregnant.  I decided I was going to walk into the backyard where they were, tell Alan to come on and leave his father choking on his own bile and hatred.  All of a sudden, I hear his father really lose it.  Alan screamed…"  Tears sprang up in Adrienne's eyes at the memory and Alan looked stricken. "He screamed and I starting running, well, waddling as fast as I could.  I got to the backyard and Alan is lying on the ground next to the garage, his father on top of him, punching him in the face, saying he's going to kill him.  They didn't see me.  Alan's father played stickball and kept his bats in the garage.  I hustled over to the bin where he kept his bats, grabbed one, stepped up behind them and swung as hard as I could.  I was a pretty strong girl so, he fell off Alan, dazed and bleeding and when he looked around to see what happened, I hit him again.  And, again.  And, again.  I was so angry, I was on my way to killing him for what he had done.

Then I heard Catherine Piper, Alan's nasty next door neighbor, yelling from her upstairs window that she had called the cops.  Alan's father was conscious, but badly stunned so, I figured I could take my attention off him and focus on Alan.  He was a mess; his face looked like hamburger, he had screamed because his father had kicked him in the balls with his steel toed boot!  The cops showed up about 3 minutes later and that…Piper witch tried to get them to arrest _me_.  Thank God, the cops looked at Alan and knew I was telling the truth when I said I was saving him.  He was in the hospital for a week.

Alan's father was arrested for assault and a whole bunch of other charges and went to jail. He made bail but, Alan's mom wouldn't bail him out.  She never said so but, she was glad he was gone for awhile.  Really, she never said much of anything.  She visited Alan in the hospital and tended to him after his release. She would make small talk.  She never touched Alan with affection in all the years I knew her.  She never talked about how Alan got hurt.  She only tolerated _me_ because when I was there, she didn't have to be.

Two months later, I went into labor.  We contacted the Andersons and they got to the hospital in time to see the birth of their son.  Alan cut the umbilical cord.  Mr. and Mrs. Anderson held Adrian first.  When Mrs. Anderson handed him to me, Alan asked if they minded giving us some privacy to say goodbye.  They went out and Alan and I held him, kissed him and told him how much we loved him and how he was going to have a great life.  The nurse came in to take him to the nursery and we cried and cried like our hearts were gonna break.  We knew we had done the right thing all the way around, but it still hurt like hell.  That was 26 years ago, today."

Alan smiled. "Every year, we speak to each other on this day.  That was the call I told you I had to make, Denny.  I never told you or Tara any of this because, frankly, a lot of it is still just too painful."

Adrienne stood up and started to make ready to leave.  "The last nine years, my job has kept me out of Boston on this day so, it's just been phone calls.  This year, I made certain I would be here for a face to face talk."

Denny stood up, and being Denny, let a little gas escape. "Sorry about the fart. Adrienne, I know that Alan is successful.  What do you do that keeps you traveling so much?"

"Mr. Crane."

"Denny, please."

"Alright, Denny. I usually don't talk about what I do; however, in the interest of full disclosure I will tell you.  I also love the law.  I didn't want to be a lawyer, though.  I thought about joining a police force, but I don't like discipline and they don't earn enough money to suit me.  I also love moving around the country and owning a lot of weapons and firearms.  So, I became a federal bounty hunter."

Denny's eyes lit up and he looked at Alan. "Alan, I think I love her!  I definitely want to have sex with her."

Alan shrugged and said, "I knew you would."

Tara rolled her eyes at the banter. "So, Adrienne, before you go, in the interest of full disclosure, why is this year different? Why did you want to make certain you could see Alan face to face?"

Adrienne had moved to the door and had opened it slightly.  "Well, like I told Alan before he let you in, Triple A wants to meet us."


	7. Chapter 7

"Alan, that was some story you and Adrienne told today," said Denny as he walked out onto the balcony and took his customary seat. He lit his cigar and watched Alan move to the wall, put his elbows on the parapet and look out over the Boston skyline for a couple of minutes while he sipped his scotch. Denny didn't press when Alan didn't answer right away; he was too secure in their friendship to feel ignored. The two friends remained in their respective positions; one lost in thought and the other, just waiting.

When Alan did turn around, he went back inside and returned with the scotch bottle. He refilled Denny's glass, then his own. He settled into his seat, lit his cigar, blew out a smoke ring and said, "Indeed. I've never told anyone before; I just…lived it. Reliving it today was unsettling, but I'm glad you and Tara know. Maybe knowing explains me a little better to you."

Denny quipped, "I knew before today that you weren't raised by Ward and June Cleaver…"

Alan snorted, "I wasn't even raised by Dan and Roseanne Connor!"

Denny continued, "My point is that I already knew you overcame a lot to get where you are. It is a wonder you're not some type of serial killer. You should be very proud of how you turned out; I know I am."

Alan smiled and lifted his glass to clink against Denny's, "Thank you, my friend." They sat in silence for a while.

Suddenly, Denny turned to look at Alan and said, "Hey, you said the Andersons sent you pictures every year."

"Yes," Alan answered, "Mrs. Anderson sent the pictures to Adrienne who forwarded them to me. It just seemed easier to let the women handle it. Would you like to see his college graduation picture?" Without waiting for an answer, Alan reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. He reached in between his driver's license and his court ID, slid out a photo and handed it to Denny who held it up so that the light from his office hit it. The picture showed a young man who looked amazingly like Alan, but with light brown soft curly hair, green eyes, a golden cast to his skin and glasses.

Denny nodded approvingly and said, as he handed the picture back, "Nice looking kid."

Alan smiled, "Thank you, Adrienne and I think so. Since this picture was taken, he's gotten contacts. You know, it feels good to talk to you about Triple A. It's very bizarre to have something this major in your life and not be able to talk about it with your best friend."

Denny looked confused. "Triple A?"

Alan stood up, stretched and said, "Adrian Alan Anderson. We call him Triple A for short, cuts down on confusion. No one she and I grew up with knows our child's name; hell, they don't know whether it was a boy or girl or stillborn. Adrienne and I are meeting for dinner. Join us."

Denny stubbed out his cigar, "Are you sure she won't mind?"

Alan had finished his drink and walked into Denny's office to gather his things. He looked over his shoulder at Denny who was now inside and putting his coat on. "It was her idea. She wants to get to know you better and vice-versa."

Denny smiled broadly and said, "I _knew_ she wanted me!"

Denny and Alan arrived at Legal Seafood just as Adrienne was stepping out of a cab. Alan and Adrienne kissed tenderly and hugged. Alan was mildly surprised that Adrienne allowed Denny to kiss her cheek and hug her and not at all surprised when he saw her easily sidestep Denny's wandering hands. They walked into the restaurant and were seated immediately. They ordered drinks and just relaxed for a few minutes while they looked over the menu. After the waiter returned to take their dinner orders, Denny looked at Adrienne and remarked, "Alan tells me it was your idea to ask me to join you two. First, thank you for that and second, why do you want to get to know me?"

Adrienne sipped her wine and smiled. "You're welcome. Well, you found out today that I exist and that Alan and I speak every year on Triple A's birthday. I, on the other hand, have known of your existence in Alan's life for some time. Alan and I speak several times a year. No matter what time of the year it is, your name always comes up in conversation. I can hear the smile in Alan's voice when he's talking about you and what you said, what advice you gave or what the two of you have been up to in and out of court. I was curious about you. You and I are members of the same extremely exclusive club: The People Alan Loves Unconditionally Club. Right now, there's _only_ a two member roster. I want to know the other person is his world. Alan is…he's so… _important_ to me that his being the father of my child is the _least_ of what he is."

Alan grinned and looked slightly embarrassed while Denny replied, " _Two_ member roster? What about Tara?"

Adrienne smirked, "What _about_ Tara? He cares about her and he's used to her, but _loves_ her? Unconditionally? I don't think so, but he is sitting right here. Let's ask. Alan, you want to disagree with me? _Are_ you in love with her?"

Alan looked at her knowingly and answered, "I thought this dinner was so that you and Denny could become better acquainted. How did I get to be the subject of the conversation?"

Adrienne laughed, "Denny opened the door on that subject, not me."

Denny said, "Well, let me change the question: Are you in love with Alan?"

Adrienne sipped her drink, smiled at them both and said, "Fair question. No, I'm not in love with Alan. I love him and he loves me. That will never change. I am his childhood best friend and mother of his child. Alan and I went through so much at such a young age; we're like two sides of the same coin. Together, but not together. We love each other totally and completely. I believe we always will. We are each other's family, as I suspect, you two are."

It was then that their meals arrived; steak and lobster tail for Denny, lobster for Alan and shrimp for Adrienne. Alan and Adrienne split a bottle of Pinot Grigio while Denny had a zinfandel. Alan was pleased that Denny and Adrienne were getting along. Denny seemed enthralled with her knowledge of weaponry and martial arts. He was fascinated that she earned six figures annually hunting down fugitives. Alan was more than content to sit back, eat his meal and watch and listen while his friends bonded. They were having such a grand time in fact, they decided to go to a nearby pub to continue their conversation over after dinner drinks.

"My goodness, are you guys _ever_ sober?" Adrienne wondered. "Scotch before dinner, wine with dinner, Irish coffee after dinner…"

Denny glanced over, "Does it bother you?"

She grinned, "No, I rather like it. When I'm actively hunting, I can't drink because I never know when or where I'm going to see who I'm looking for. I have to be ready to fight at a moment's notice. Being unprepared in my line of work could get me hurt, or worse." Alan winced slightly and opened his mouth, but Adrienne held up her hand and looked him squarely in the eyes. "Alan, please don't start with me. We're having a good time." He shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. Adrienne rubbed his arm and said, "Sorry." She looked at Denny and continued, "Suffice it to say, Alan is concerned that I'm still doing my job because I'm not twenty - five anymore. He wants me to quit and do something else. I will, someday, just not now. It's the only thing we've disagreed about in years."

Denny exchanged looks with both of them and said, "OK, I'll bite. What was the last thing you two disagreed about?" He didn't get an answer, at first, so he ventured, "Have you forgotten?"

At that, they both shook their heads. "Oh no, trust me; we remember," Alan said, "it almost destroyed us."

Adrienne said, "We were fighting about our son."


	8. Chapter 8

"After I was released from the hospital, it was all so surreal: I was no longer pregnant, there was no child to show for it and Alan and I were kind of lost, you know? The few people we did speak to had no idea what to say to us, so they said nothing. _We_ said nothing. It was almost like the whole thing hadn't happened. The only thing we could think to do was to bury ourselves in school work. _That_ we could control. Both of us had always been very good students. After we signed away our rights to Adrian, we became over achievers. Alan was valedictorian of his class, I was valedictorian of mine. He was two years ahead of me in school so of course, he graduated first. He had been accepted to a few schools, but University of Massachusetts offered him a full scholarship plus some other perks he couldn't refuse. I knew once he left, he was never coming back. I was so thrilled for him and so devastated for myself because I was going to be without him for the first time since I was nine years old."

Alan ordered another round of Irish coffees and picked up the narrative. "After Adrienne came home from the hospital, I felt a distance between us and I didn't like it, but I didn't know what to do about it. Nothing was wrong and everything was wrong. So, I just got deeper into my school work. After I got my acceptance letter from UMass, I invited Adrienne out to dinner. It was during that dinner that Adrienne asked me why I never mentioned our son. The truth was: I was afraid to talk about him. I would get choked up just thinking about him. I _missed_ him in a way I didn't think was possible. Adrienne always seemed so strong. I didn't realize she was waiting for me to say something and when I didn't, she thought it was because I wanted to put it all, including her, behind me. I apologized for not understanding and I told her that she would always be a part of my life and because of the agreement we had with the Andersons, Triple A would be, too. We talked until the sun came up. After we reconnected that night, I was unsure about leaving for college, but she insisted that I had to go. She really was stronger than I was back then. She said if I didn't go, we gave our son away for nothing and she couldn't accept that. So, I left Dedham."

Denny asked Adrienne, "Where are you staying while you're in Boston?"

Adrienne was a little taken aback and replied, "I'm staying at the Onyx. Are you ready to call it a night, Denny?"

"Absolutely not! I want to hear this entire story, but I'm getting tired. I want to invite you to a sleepover at my house with Alan and me so we can all get comfortable. We'll take you to your hotel to pick up some things. We'll get in front of the fireplace in the living room and have hot chocolate. It will all be very chaste unless," Denny leaned closer and leered, "you want it to be otherwise."

Alan's eyes narrowed. "Denny…be respectful," he warned.

"Don't worry, Alan, I'm not offended," Adrienne said, "and yes, Denny, I would love to come and hang out with you two. You just need to remember that I am quite good at breaking things on men. Actually, I'm also quite good at breaking things _off_ men if they get too close to me uninvited."

Denny's eyes popped in mock fear and he looked at Alan, who was on the phone with Denny's chauffeur, and said, "She's a tough one! I'd hate to have her hit me!"

Alan clicked his phone shut and said, "You have no idea."

Denny grunted as he settled into his favorite living room chair. Alan and Adrienne sat together on the couch. They had picked up her things from the hotel, changed into their pajamas when they got to Denny's and now each had a steaming mug of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows. Denny looked from one to the other, Alan with his nightshirt and pointed sleep hat on his head and Adrienne with her feet tucked under her body. _My God, they_ both _look like kids. Damn, I'm old._

Denny finished his hot chocolate, put the cup down and rubbed his hands together. "All right," Denny said, "Alan left for school. Then what happened?"

Adrienne spoke up first. "I'm going to short-hand a lot of this. Alan was gone. I was on my way to being the class valedictorian. The Andersons were true to our agreement and sent photos to me every six months. After Alan left, I forwarded his copies to him at school. We would call each other, but he had a whole other life going on, so the calls were few and far between. When Triple A's first birthday came around, Alan called." She rubbed his arm affectionately.

Alan caught her hand and kissed it softly, then placed it back on his arm. "After that, I called Adrienne every year on Triple A's birthday. Fast forwarding some more: Adrienne accepted a full scholarship to Northwestern University. How she became a federal bounty hunter is a fascinating story that we will leave for another time."

Adrienne laughed out loud. "Good, because otherwise, we would be up all night!"

Alan smiled, "Indeed. Moving forward again: Adrienne is a bounty hunter and I'm an attorney. When I was thirty and Adrienne was twenty - eight, she was in the Boston area and called to say hi. I had been married for three years at that point. She had been at my wedding, of course, but that was the last time I had seen her. I invited her to the house for dinner. My wife called to say she was running about two hours late, so I told her not to worry about making anything, we would just order take out. I told Adrienne it was just as well because I wanted to discuss something with her that I hadn't even broached with Cathy."

Adrienne continued the story from there. "I had no idea what he wanted to discuss with me. You could have knocked me down with a feather when he said he wanted us to reveal ourselves to Triple A. You see, Denny, we knew him through the progress reports and pictures we were getting every year, but he didn't know us at all. He knew he was adopted; what he didn't know then was that it was a private adoption and that his parents were in touch with his bio-parents. We had agreed that information wouldn't be shared with him until he was twenty - two years old. At that time, he was only fourteen. I was stunned, and then I got angry. Really, _really_ angry."

" _Alan, what the hell are you saying? We can't do that!" Alan knew this wasn't going to be an easy sell. He hadn't even planned to talk about it tonight, but with Cathy not getting home before eight, he figured it was now or never. So, he took a deep breath and calmly started to present his argument._

" _Adrienne, we're not kids anymore. We've finished our education; we're out of Dedham! I just got hired at Howard and Brock for a quarter of a million dollars a year, for God's sake! You told me you earned seventy - five thousand dollars last_ month for one collar! _We didn't even dream this big when we were growing up! When we got pregnant with Triple A, we had nothing to offer and it wouldn't have been fair to him to bring him up in poverty. You were right; the best thing we could have done for him was give him up for adoption. But now, we can…"_

" _We can what, Alan?" Adrienne was so agitated, she had gotten off the couch they were sitting on and started pacing around Alan's living room like a caged lioness. "We can what; turn his life upside down? Usurp his parents' authority and responsibility? For what purpose?"_

_Alan replied, "I want to see him. We can do things for him, now! We could maybe buy a car for him when he gets his license or send him on a trip to Europe. Or…why are you looking at me like that?"_

_Adrienne was leaning against the wall separating the dining room from the living room staring at Alan like he was under a microscope._ _After a few seconds she said, "This isn't about Triple A and what he might need; this is about you and your ego, Alan."_

_He shook his head and repeated, "I want to see him. My ego has nothing to do with it."_

_"Yes, it does. I dunno, maybe it's because you fathered a child you couldn't provide for at the time, but this is all about you."_

_Al_ _an shot up from the couch and came to stand directly in front of Adrienne. Now he was angry. "How dare you say that to me! I was willing to get a job and st_ _ay! You're the one who couldn't wait to get rid of hi…" Alan was cut off by Adrienne's right fist connecting with his jaw and knocking him back so that he tripped over one of the dining room chairs and fell to the floor._

" _Omigod! Oh, God! Alan!" Adrienne went to Alan's side and knelt beside him. Alan laid there looking up at her in shock while holding the side of his face with his left hand. Adrienne was sobbing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over._

_Alan sat up still holding his face and whispered, "I feel sorry for any fugitive who wants to duke it out with you. I deserved that, Adrienne. I didn't mean what I was saying, it just…came out."_

_Adrienne just cried harder. Finally, she regained some composure, helped Alan up and put the chair back where it belonged. They both went to the couch and sat. She looked at Alan and said softly, "I won't blame you if you don't forgive me or want to see me again. But I'm begging you to please listen to me: Adrian is fourteen years old. That means he thinks his parents don't understand him, they're unfair when they make him do his homework or come home too early when he wants to hang out with his friends. And, that's fine; he's a normal teenager with normal parents, it's to be expected."_

" _You're right, Alan, we make a boatload of money and we'll only earn more in the future. The Andersons make more than enough to provide a comfortable home, but nowhere near what either one of us earns. If we were to reveal ourselves now, Triple A would play us against them."_

_Alan interjected, "You don't know that!"_

_"Yes, I do. And you know why I know? Because he's fourteen! If a rich relative showed up when you were fourteen with the ability to take you out of the hell you lived in, what would you have done, huh? Alan, I cannot, I will not allow you to make us the stick Adrian uses to beat the Andersons. When you were fourteen, you were raped. When I was fourteen, I was pregnant. Adrian deserves a better fourteen than either of us had. The Andersons agreed to our demands and never reneged. We gave our word we would not interfere; we can't go back on it. They don't deserve that."_

_Alan leaned his head back and gazed at the ceiling. He lolled his head in Adrienne's direction, sighed and said, "Okay, Adrienne, I will continue to honor our agreement with the Andersons. I never thought you would hit me, Adrienne, and you did, but I forgive you. I know you never would have done it if I hadn't suggested we break our promise. I didn't mean to provoke you. Maybe it_ was _my ego wanting to be stroked, but I promise you, we won't ever have this conversation again and you don't have to worry about me going behind your back."_

_Adrienne nodded and stood up. "Please give my apologies to Cathy. Tell her something came up and I had to leave." Alan walked her to the front door. Just before he reached to open it, Adrienne took hold of his arm and turned him to face her. "Alan, do you still love me?"_

_Alan hugged her, kissed her forehead and said, "Always."_


	9. Chapter 9

Tara sitting at her desk and Alan sitting on the couch looked like two attorneys discussing some important legal matter. The reality was when the hallway on the other side of the glass wall had cleared for a moment, on Tara's mark, Alan had crawled out from under her desk after… _attending_ to her needs and they were both catching their breath.

She sighed, "I do so appreciate your…creativity, Alan. Then again, one has to be creative in this place. Whose idea was it to have glass walls for the offices anyway?"

Alan laughed, "Some voyeur's, I'm sure." He glanced at his watch, noted the time and said, "Well, enough fun and games. I'm going to my office to do some actual, _billable_ work." He stood up and smoothed his jacket, then reached into his inner pocket and pulled out some breath mints. He smiled wickedly at Tara as he popped two into his mouth. "I'll come back to see you before I leave tonight."

Tara watched him as he moved toward her door. "Alan," she called. When he turned around to face her, she asked, "Is Adrienne still in town?"

Alan, for the briefest of moments, considered lying as it seemed easier than the truth, but he didn't really want to start down that slippery slope. "Yes, she's still in town. I'm actually expecting a call from her."

Tara reached into her drawer and pulled out a file. She glanced up at Alan and asked, "Are you seeing her tonight?"

Alan leaned against the door and replied, "I don't know. Would you have a problem if I were to see her tonight?"

"I imagine that would depend on the reason why you were seeing her," she retorted before focusing her attention on the papers in the file.

Alan exhaled loudly and exited her office; he knew that somehow, he was in the doghouse, but wasn't exactly sure how to make it better. _I don't think this is going to go well for me._

Alan was picking Denny's brain for advice on how to handle a civil case. If anyone had walked into the office, she would have heard what sounded like a conversation about produce. Denny was going on and on about carrots, lettuce, turnips and tomatoes. Anyone else would have dismissed what Denny was saying out of hand. Not Alan; he understood that Denny Crane had _forgotten_ more about the law than most people ever knew in the first place and, if allowed to speak freely, Denny would give great advice. Even if he didn't realize it. "Thank you, Denny, you're right. Getting the jury to see that this is about harvesting turnips _is_ the best way to go. You're a genius!"

The older man leaned back on the sofa and grinned. "Denny Crane!"

Alan smiled at his best friend and declared, "Indeed." Just then, the intercom buzzed. Alan pressed the speaker button. "Yes, Catherine."

"Your… _friend_ is on line two, dear."

Alan decided to play dumb, "Who would that be, Catherine?"

He was answered with an exasperated sigh before Catherine said, " _Adrienne_ , dear. Please don't ask me to say her name again."

Alan checked his watch, it was five PM. He pushed line two and picked up the receiver. At the mention of Adrienne's name, Denny's ears had perked up and he listened intently to Alan's half of the conversation. After about ten minutes, he hung up.

Denny leaned forward, "Well? She spoke to him, didn't she? Did she say how it went?"

"She wants to meet me this evening. Denny, would you mind if I sleep over and postpone our balcony time tonight until I get to your house? I really think I need to talk to Adrienne completely sober."

Denny stood up and watched as Alan gathered his things and prepared to leave. "That's fine, Alan. This whole thing has you nervous as hell," Denny observed.

Alan nodded. "I told Adrienne that I wasn't nervous until she made me be, but the truth is I've been thinking about the day our son might contact us ever since he turned twenty - two and his parents told him about us. I'm not just nervous, I'm… _afraid._ "

Denny clapped Alan's shoulder and said, "I'm sure you and Adrienne will handle this just fine. Trust yourself; you made the right decision when you were kids and you'll both make good decisions now."

Alan smiled as he and Denny walked out of his office. "I really appreciate your support, Denny. I'll see you later tonight; I'm going to say goodnight to Tara."

 _I knew this wasn't going to go well, I just knew it._ Tara hadn't said anything untoward when Alan said he was leaving to meet Adrienne, but the set of her face told him she was more than a little displeased. _I just know that if I leave now, the next few days, if not weeks, of my life are going to be miserable, but I really don't know what to do here._ Alan took a deep breath, let it out and in his most conciliatory tone asked, "Are you feeling alright? You seem…annoyed."

Tara leaned back in her chair and folded her arms and replied, "Annoyed? Why ever would I be annoyed? Some woman from your past shows up unannounced at our place of business whereupon I find out from your _secretary_ that you are a father. I understand a lot of your past is painful, but we've been seeing each other for over a year! You could have told me she _exists,_ Alan. If she hadn't shown up yesterday, would I have known she exists?"

Alan looked at his watch and back at Tara. "Listen," he started, "you and I do need to sit down and talk and I'm sorry that we don't have time to do it now, but soon. However, I want to leave you something to think about until we talk. I sired a child, but I am _not_ a father. And, you probably would not have known Adrienne exists if she hadn't stopped by the office. But, if you can't understand how not choosing to have my child or his mother with me has affected my life since the day she and I signed away our parental rights, I have to wonder if you know _me_ after having dated for more than a year. I'll see you later." He smiled ruefully at her and left her office.

 _You may have a point, Alan_ , Tara thought, _but this makes me wonder what else you've been keeping from me._

Fifteen minutes later found Alan on Washington Street in front of Teranga. Adrienne got out of a cab a minute later. After a quick peck on the cheek, they went inside the fairly empty restaurant and were seated at a table a little away from the bar that offered as much privacy as possible. They both opted for bottled water instead of alcohol. They ordered their meals and when the server walked away, they clinked their glasses and sipped. Alan said, "This is a first for me. I've never been to a Senegalese restaurant before."

Adrienne nodded. "Neither have I. I was looking for a place where we could talk without being disturbed. A few online reviews said this is the place you bring your lover when you want to go out without being seen. And all the reviews rave about the food. No wine tonight?"

Alan smiled and replied, "I think I should be completely clearheaded for this conversation. What did Adrian say to you? Does he still want to meet us?"

Adrienne smiled broadly. "Alan, yes, he wants to meet us and I can't wait to meet him! Can you believe it? He went to medical school! Our son is a doctor!"

It was Alan's turn to smile, "Really? What school?"

"After he graduated from SUNY at Albany, he was accepted into Cornell University's Medical School on a full scholarship. He's a first year resident at the Albany Medical Center now. He told me his specialty, but honestly, I was so nervous speaking with him I don't remember what he said. There is one thing though…"

Alan stopped smiling and leaned forward. "What is it?"

"Well, residents work an obscene amount of hours per week and are constantly on call. He was able to trade off with some of his fellow residents so that he has a block of about 12 hours of free time this Saturday. He wants to know if we would be willing to meet him in South Deerfield at noon since it's halfway between Albany and Boston. I told him I was willing and I thought you would be too, but I would ask to make sure. Can you do it?"

"Absolutely. If I have anything scheduled, I will change it."

Adrienne pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed Triple A's number. "I'll probably get his voicemail." Sure enough, Adrian's message started to play. She handed the phone to Alan and said, "You leave the message."

Alan listened to his son's voice for the first time and was surprised at how emotional it made him. After the beep sounded, he said quietly, "Adrian, this is…um, this is Alan Shore. This Saturday at noon in South Deerfield sounds like a plan. My cell is 615-555-5942. You can call or text either me or your, I mean, _Adrienne_ to let us know where exactly to meet you. I'm really looking forward to this. See you soon. 'Bye." As he handed the phone back, he mused, "He sounds a little like me, don't you think?"

"That's why I wanted you to hear his message. He does sound like you. When he and I spoke earlier today, I did tell him some things about us; a lot of things he already knew from his parents, like how old we were when he was born and where he was born. He knows we're both single, that he has no biological siblings and that we are both only children. I told him a little about my mom and I said that I would let you tell him about your family."

Alan looked a little distressed, "Oh, dear."

Adrienne rubbed his hand and reassured him, "You don't have to tell him everything, Alan, just, whatever you feel comfortable sharing. You have three and a half days to think about it. Treat it as an opening statement if that makes it easier."

Alan allowed himself a slight grin. "Thank you, Adrienne. That might help. And, this restaurant was an excellent choice! The food was wonderful and we certainly had privacy. Would you like to have an after dinner drink?"

"Coffee would be nice. I have to be up and out early tomorrow. I'm doing some work for a bail bondsman tomorrow and Thursday."

Alan ordered coffee for both of them. After he tasted his, he looked at her and said, "Will you take my head off if I say I worry about you chasing felons all over the country?"

Adrienne put her cup down and said, "No, I won't. I'm actually working with two other hunters who are extremely good at their jobs; we've worked together before. I'll be fine. How is Tara handling all of…this business?"

Alan paid the check and waved off Adrienne's offer to split it. "I'm not sure how this is going to shake out, Adrienne. She's taking it personally that I had never mentioned you to her."

Adrienne rolled her eyes and said, "Well, for God's sake, don't tell her that _I_ knew about _her._ You sidestepped the question when we were at dinner with Denny. Are you in love with her? Is she in love with you?"

They stepped to the curb and Alan hailed a cab; after they entered, Alan told the driver to go to the Onyx. Alan leaned back into the seat and finally responded, "We care deeply about each other. I don't think we're in love. I can't even tell her I love her; I tell her she smells good. I don't know how much longer we'll be together." He looked out the window and watched the city go by. When the cab arrived at the Onyx, he instructed the driver to wait while he got out to go open Adrienne's door.

She hugged him, "Thanks for dinner! We'll talk on Friday." He looked at her. "Yes, Alan, I promise I'll be careful." She kissed him on his cheek. "For the record, I get no joy from being right about your feelings for Tara. Goodnight, Sweetie."

"I know. Love you. Goodnight."

"I love you, too, Alan. Get home safe."

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

Denny and Alan were sitting on Denny's bedroom balcony with a bottle of scotch smoking Dominican cigars. It was about eight PM when the cab dropped Alan at Denny's suburban home. It was a pleasant late summer night and both men were enjoying being in their pajamas with a gently blowing breeze swirling around them. Denny had a look on his face like he was trying to figure out algebra in his head. Finally, he looked at Alan and said, "Help me out here. You can't tell Tara that you love her; you can only tell she 'smells good,' but almost every time you speak to Adrienne, you say 'I love you.' What is that about?"

Alan pulled his cigar out of his mouth and turned his head to his friend. "I have no idea," he responded, "I can't even focus on that right now. Denny, I'm going to meet my _son_ , my twenty - six year old son! There's nothing in my life experience to prepare me for that!"

Denny stood up and stretched, then walked around the perimeter of the balcony. "I _do_ have some experience with this."

Alan poured more scotch for both of them and said, "Oh, really."

"Yes, really. Have you forgotten about Donny Crane? Granted, it's not exactly the same as your situation, but there are some similarities. I didn't raise him either and I only saw him four times while he was growing up with the last time being when he was twelve. Okay, so he wasn't my son biologically, but I liked him; I paid for his education and I let him keep the name when he found out he wasn't mine. Whatever. My point is: You and Adrienne made the best decision you could make given the circumstances. You have no reason to feel ashamed about what you chose to do. Didn't you tell Tara and me that you would have stepped in if you thought he was being abused?"

Alan looked down at his lap. "Yes," he whispered.

Denny had circled back to his chair and sat down. "I know you, Alan. If you had thought for even a _minute_ that your child was in harm's way, you would have done everything in your power to save him. And, if _Adrienne_ had thought he was being abused…"

Alan snorted, "She would have killed them and made it look like an accident."

"No doubt. When you meet Adrian Alan Anderson, hold your head up high. Be proud of what you did for him."

Alan sat looking at his glass of scotch in his lap awhile longer, then drained it and stood up. "I'm going to go read myself to sleep. Denny, you always seem to know exactly what to say to make me feel better. You really are my best friend."

Denny stood up as well. "I might as well go in, too. And, I _had_ to make you feel better; otherwise, you would toss and turn all night and keep me awake. At my age, I need all the beauty sleep I can get."


	10. Chapter 10

The next two days for Alan were a blur of court dates and appearances, client meetings, settlement talks and long hours. He was glad for the distraction of work. He and Tara went out for dinner Thursday night; it wasn't a total disaster, but it was close. Alan had returned to the offices after escorting Tara home and being told goodnight at the door and was on the balcony having drinks and cigars with Denny _._

"Denny, I am really at a loss about how to proceed with Tara. We're just… _out of sync_ right now."

"I didn't expect to see you at all tonight, Alan. Did you two have a fight?"

Alan shrugged his shoulders and took a gulp of scotch. "No, not really. I wish we had. It was all so very civilized. We would have these snippets of conversation followed by these tremendously awkward silences. Finally, she asked me if I wanted to talk about our relationship. I told her no because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I think that put her off because she wanted to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room and I was a little put off because I felt like she should have understood why I _didn't_ want to talk about the gorilla in the room."

Denny was staring at Alan in utter confusion. "Alan, I thought we were talking about Tara. Why are you talking about gorillas?"

Alan smiled, "I'm sorry, Denny. I guess I'm not making a lot of sense. What I mean is that I am so preoccupied with thoughts of Triple A and Adrienne that I can't concentrate on Tara now. I'm going to meet my son the day after tomorrow and I'm freaked out about it. And because of that, I'm afraid something will go wrong and I'm also worried about Adrienne working right now and possibly getting hurt. What does that say about my relationship with Tara that I don't feel comfortable sharing with her what I just shared with you? What does that say about _me_?"

Denny grunted his understanding. "It says that you are still sane enough not to talk to your girlfriend about another woman who not only knows you even more intimately than she does, but shares something with you that you've never considered sharing with her."

Alan looked at Denny with a combination of wonder and admiration. "Denny, you never cease to amaze me."

Denny leaned back and blew smoke above his head. "Good. Keeps the love fresh."

Alan noted the time and asked, "Sleepover, Denny?"

Denny stubbed out his cigar and said, "Why not? But I'm not having sex with you!"

Alan picked up their empty glasses and walked into Denny's office, "Thank God."

The next day, Denny and Alan were pleasantly surprised when the judge presiding over their criminal case announced that court was adjourning for the day at 1PM. As soon as the courtroom cleared, Alan checked his phone for messages. There was a text from Triple A suggesting they meet at Chandler's Tavern next to the Yankee Candle Flagship store at noon. He replied back that was fine. He showed Denny the text and said, "This is perfect, Denny; I can do some early Christmas shopping. I'll pick up some of those scents that you like for the house and the condo."

Denny had finished placing his papers in his briefcase and stood up, "I would like that, thank you, Alan. Are there any messages from Adrienne?"

Alan worried his bottom lip. "Not yet. I'm thinking she won't call before 4 o'clock."

"Alan!" Alan's eyes darted up to meet his mentor's face. "She's fine," Denny said calmly, "I'm sure of it."

They walked out of the courthouse to the local deli to buy sandwiches to take back to the office. They stopped in the office galley and got sodas and chips to go with their lunch then, settled into Alan's office. Catherine came in a moment later with his messages, "Tara wanted me to tell her when you returned. Do you want me to call her now or when you've finished eating?"

Alan wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "I'll call her, Catherine, thank you."

Denny finished eating and stretched out on the couch. "You know," he said, "if Adrienne calls soon, we could actually leave at 5 like normal people."

Alan had finished his sandwich and pulled out his notes from the morning's court session. "Denny, there is such a thing as a cell phone; Adrienne knows how to call mine. We can leave at 5 whether she calls or not."

Denny lifted his head and peered at Alan, "You don't fool me; you want her to call you while we're here so you can tell her to come here. You want to see her, make sure she's in one piece."

Alan rolled his eyes and went back to transcribing his notes. "You're being overly dramatic, Denny."

There was a knock on the door casement followed by Tara entering the room. Denny roused himself from the couch, smiled at Tara, waved at Alan and left. _Coward,_ Alan thought. Aloud, he said, "How is your day going, Tara?"

She came farther into his office and sat in a chair. "It's been fine, actually. Shirley and I defended this professor who I think is not as innocent as we originally thought. And I couldn't believe it; opposing counsel was…"

Just then, Alan's cell rang. "Excuse me a moment," he said when he saw it was Adrienne. Tara's face registered frustration, but she said nothing. The relief in Alan's voice and face were unmistakable. "Hi, I thought you'd be calling later. Yes, yes. But, you're all right? You're sure? Good. Come to Boylston Street. I did hear from him, yes. I'll see you soon. Back at you. Bye." He snapped the phone shut and smiled apologetically at Tara. "I'm sorry, I had to take that. You were saying?"

Tara stood up. "Nothing important. I just wanted to ask if you and Adrienne have made arrangements to meet your son."

Alan stood up, buttoned and smoothed his jacket, and then walked around his desk to stand next to Tara. He ran his left hand up and down her right arm. "Yes, we're going to meet him in South Deerfield tomorrow afternoon. He's a medical intern and can only get away for a few hours so we're meeting him halfway between here and Albany."

"Alan, I really don't wish to sound insensitive. I _am_ happy for you, but you have been marginalizing me ever since your friend Adrienne came to town. It's like I don't matter to you at all. I was really hoping we would be able to spend time together this weekend, but obviously, that's not happening."

Alan looked into her eyes and said, "I don't know what you want me to say, Tara. I want to meet my son. I don't want to feel like I have to choose between seeing you and meeting him. I feel like I have to censor myself to protect your emotions when I just want to feel what I'm feeling without being judged."

Tara began to walk toward the doorway. "Really, Alan, I _am_ happy for you. It sounds like your weekend is tied up. I'll see you on Monday." She walked out without waiting for a response. Alan thought about following her, but decided against it. He went back to his desk and got back to work.

Forty-five minutes later, Catherine buzzed Alan to let him know that Adrienne had arrived. When she came into his office, he rose from his desk and went to hug her, but her sharp intake of breath stopped him. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

She leaned in gently and kissed his cheek. "There was a bit of a struggle and I have some bruised ribs. I'm OK, Alan! Really, I'm OK."

Alan sat down on his sofa. "Well, maybe _I'm_ not OK. We really have to talk about your job."

Adrienne sat down next to him. "I know, but not now, not this weekend. This weekend is about us meeting Triple A. OK?"

"Not really, but OK. He sent me a text that he wants to meet us at some restaurant called Chandler's Tavern."

Adrienne smiled with recognition. "I've been there! Great food and I can go to Yankee Candle! Perfect! Where's Denny?"

"In his office. Let's go see him."

Adrienne and Alan found Denny on his balcony tucking into his first scotch of the evening. First Alan then Denny tried to get Adrienne to sit, but she declined, saying that she preferred to stand. After telling the story of how her ribs got bruised, she delighted Denny and horrified Alan by lifting her shirt and showing the mottled purple marks around her rib section. Denny sucked on his cigar and looked at the bruises with great interest and respect. "So Adrienne," he asked, "what does the other guy look like?"

Adrienne took a sip of scotch, grimaced and puffed on her cigar. "He's in the hospital."

Denny looked from one to the other. "So," he inquired, "how are you getting to South Deerfield tomorrow?"

Adrienne looked at Alan who responded, "I'm driving us there. It's a two hour drive; shouldn't be a problem."

Denny said, "I understand this is a historical moment for both of you and I would never ask to be a part of it, but I'm asking to be a part of it. Take my car. Let me feel like I'm a part of all this somehow. Alan will tell you, Adrienne that I don't like him driving when he is distracted. Meeting your son has got to be the King of All Distractions. And, with your sore ribs, you can stretch out in the back seat. What do you say? Please?"

Alan glanced over at Adrienne. She shrugged and said, "The first time I was ever chauffeured was the other day when we went to Denny's. I wouldn't mind doing that again."

Denny smiled like the Cheshire Cat. "It's settled then! We'll all stay at my place then you two will leave from there. Let's go eat! Lock and load!"


	11. Chapter 11

The next evening found Adrienne and Alan sitting in Denny's living room regaling the older man with their account of the events that had taken place earlier in the day. To say they were happy would have been the understatement of the year. They were, at various points in the conversation, ecstatic, exhilarated, gratified and just plain elated. They interrupted each other and laughed. They were drinking white wine and loving it and life.

"Denny, it was amazing! _He_ is amazing! You knew I was afraid to meet him. I was so afraid that he would hate us for giving him away, but he doesn't! He _hugged_ us and thanked us for giving him a chance to have a good life! I was…" Alan choked up, shook his head and sipped his wine.

Denny looked at Adrienne and smiled. "Has he been like this all day?"

"No, only since we got in the car to come home. To be fair, he was good the entire time we were with Triple A. We ate lunch and had a fabulous conversation. We went shopping in Yankee Candle. We talked about his life, my life, Alan's life. It was so incredible!" Adrienne was still so excited she jumped off the sofa and practically ran to Denny. "Denny, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on both cheeks. Denny happily hugged her back. "If you hadn't insisted on us taking your car, we'd still be there. Someone drove Adrian there for the same reason; it was…"

Alan broke in, "His girlfriend. He introduced us to his _girlfriend,_ Denny! She didn't stay with us, though. Nora, that's her name, Nora, said she would give us privacy so, she introduced herself to your driver and they ate lunch together. She's lovely."

Adrienne said, "We were both so emotional when we got in the car to head back to your place. Alan raised the privacy panel, looked at me and said 'Can you believe we just spent three hours with _our son? And he wants to stay in touch with us? Oh, my God!_ ' We started laughing, hugging, crying and high-fiving each other like crazy. We couldn't help it. We were just… _giddy_. Driving was the last thing we were capable of doing."

Adrienne freshened Denny's drink. "He loves being a doctor, Denny. He's specializing in geriatric medicine. He wants to do research on Alzheimer's disease."

Denny grinned and held up his glass. "Fantastic! Maybe he'll be the one to find a cure for Mad Cow!" Adrienne and Alan both smiled at that. _Look at them,_ Denny thought, _they're sitting on the couch grinning like, well, like proud parents._

Denny stood up. "I didn't know how hungry you would be when you got here, so I had the cook prepare a light buffet: finger sandwiches, soup, salad and whatever else she put out there."

Adrienne got up, "That's perfect! Alan, tell Denny the tuna sandwich story Triple A told us."

The three of them had been curled up together on the living room sofa watching movies for hours. Denny had flat out refused to let Adrienne go back to her hotel. "You're Alan's family so that makes you my family, too. He's staying, you're staying. A great day like you two have had does not deserve to end alone in a hotel room," he had said. Adrienne had been truly touched. When it was time to put on pajamas, she had borrowed one of Alan's nightshirts.

After the credits finished rolling on the last movie of the night, Denny looked at Alan and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can. What do you want to know?"

Denny put his bowl of popcorn down and sat up straight. "Have you spoken to Tara today?"

Alan took a sip of his wine, "No."

Denny wasn't finished. "Did she even cross your mind today?"

Alan exhaled slowly, "No. Part of me thinks I should call her tomorrow, but a bigger part of me wants to wait until Monday. I just want to revel in the reality that Triple A wants me in his life, that the mother of my child is safe and reasonably healthy and my best friend understands me and supports me no matter what."

Adrienne, who had been sitting there listening quietly, finally spoke up. "You two just ought to go ahead and get married. You already share a bed."

Denny said, "Yeah, right. Like _that's_ going to happen."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm just saying."

Alan stood up and stretched. "Speaking of bed, I'm going."

Adrienne said, "Me, too."

He bent down and kissed Adrienne's forehead. "Goodnight."

Denny raised his hand. "I'll pass on the kiss, but I'll join you." With a goodnight kiss to Adrienne, Denny turned and led the way upstairs.

Monday just flew by for Alan: Adrienne left for a job in Nevada, Denny was second chair for him on a high-profile murder case that lasted all morning and most of the afternoon and he had just missed Tara when he got back to Crane Poole and Schmidt. He went to the office galley to get a bottle of water and ran into Shirley Schmidt herself. "Shirley! How are you? Did you happen to see Tara within the past hour? It seems like I've been just missing her all day."

Shirley took a bottle of water from the fridge and said, "I have seen her, actually. She is co-counsel on a case with a lawyer representing a man suing for the right to sing an anti-war song some club owner thinks is un-American."

Alan drank deeply from his water and asked, "What lawyer? Someone with the firm?"

Shirley looked uncomfortable for a moment then answered him, "No, his name is Malcolm Holmes."

Alan gave her a look of incredulity, "Her _ex-boyfriend?_ "


End file.
